SECOND best Boro slumped to a painful New Year 3-1 away defeat as they failed to cope with rampant Derby.

A patched-up back-line were ruthlessly exposed by the pace and movement of the in-form Rams and after a sluggish start they were two down and deep in trouble as Jacobs and Hendrick scored before the break. Sammon added a third in a game that was long gone before Lukas Jutkiewicz grabbed a face-saving consolation in stoppage time.

After back-to-back festive fixture home wins at the Riverside it was a bruising reality check as they went first footing at Pride Park.

Boro made three changes from the team that beat Blackburn 4-2 with Stuart Parnaby starting in place of injured Justin Hoyte, Lukas Jutkiewicz replacing Ishmael Miller and Adam Reach starting in place of rested Marvin Emnes. With the defence stretched, Christian Burgess and Paul Weldon were on the bench for the first time.

Derby started at a cracking pace and Boro had to scramble away a Derby free-kick and a corner in a frantic opening few minutes.

They hit back with a curling Grant leadbitter free-kick that the keeper came to collect at the far post.

But then Derby threatened on five minutes as Coutts streaked past Andy Halliday down the right flank to whip a low ball through the box that first Sammon then Jacobs just failed to connect with.

Derby won another corner on seven minutes but Jonathan Woodgate was alert and nipped in to head clear from Sammon.

And on 12 minutes Derby threatened again as Davies cut in from the left and surged towards the box before sending a low 25 yard effort wide.

There was a scare on 16 minutes as Halliday played a long range pass back to Steele udner pressure and the keeper had to be sharply out to clear before Rams striker Sammon could profit.

And after their high-tempo start Derby deservedly went ahead with thei first real chance of the game on 19 minutes.

Scott McDonald conceded a cheap foul on the right flank level with the edge of the box and when £10m rated teenage schemer Will Hughes drilled a low ball into the crowd, MICHAEL JACOBS reacted first as Boro stood static and stabbed it past the diving Jason Steele.

Two minutes later Derby broke through the middle and Hendrick drilled a long, low effort wide. Then, on 26 minutes, a slotted diagonal ball from Davies sent Sammon chasing into the box forcing Parnaby into a high-risk stretching tackle that just took the ball.

There was a lengthy hold-up as Halliday went down after getting cracked around the head in a robust challenge and had to go off to stem a bleeding nose and change his shirt.

Derby enjoyed a good spell with some lively movement and neat short passing forcing sluggish Boro onto the back foot.

But Boro broke out to create their first chance on 32 minutes as a sweeping move took Jutkiewicz to the edge of the box and when his first shot was charged down Parnaby sent the rebound sizzling just over the bar.

Derby were back on the attack on 36 minutes when a testing cross from Coutts on the right was nodded away by Woodgate and when it fell to Hendrick, Smallwood was well placed to block his shot on the edge of the box.

Boro were forced to reorganise on 37 minutes as Woodgate limped off injured with Nicky Bailey dropping back into defence and Kevin Thomson coming off the bench to replace him in midfield.

Derby got a second on 43 minutes as Williams could only half-clear a ball into the box and when it fell to JEFF KENDRICK he lashed it home from the edge of the box.

And Derby coould have had a third on the stroke of half-time as Parnaby fouled Jacobs 25 yards out and was booked then Davies rattled the cross-bar with a well struck dipping free-kick.

In stoppage time Boro went close as Reach crossed from the right to the near post and McDonald stooped to head but keeper Legzdins was down to collecft comfortably.

HALF-TIME: DERBY 2 BORO 0

At the break Boro put on Luke Williams for McDonald. They were quickly on the attack as Luke Williams got down the left to put a deep cross in for over-lapping Parnaby to head goalwards but it was cleared.

But Derby almost scored a third on 48 minutes as Sammon broke clear onto a diagonal ball and when his first angle shot was blocked by Steele he got to the rebound and looped it goalwards but Bailey had arrived to cover and scooped it off the line.

Boro had stepped up the tempo now and were getting the ball forward more often and more quickly although it was scrappy and Derby looked polished when they attacked.

Parnaby got down the right but his cross was scrambled away then Reach had a ball in cleared. And on 53 minutes Boro won a free-kick 30 yards out and when Reach's effort came back off the wall, Thomson collected and gave it back to the flanker whose second ball in was collected off the head of Jutkiwicz by the keeper.

Boro were in trouble on 57 minutes when Rhys Williams was robbed as he dawdled on the ball and when Couuts slotted the ball to the edge of the box Thomson was forced into a desperate tackle on Jacobs that earned a booking but the resulting free-kick came to nothing.

Then on the hour a quick Derby move saw three men over in the box but as Sammon shaped to shoot Rhys Williams arrived with a superb sliding tackle to block.

Then Parnaby conceded a free-kick just outside the box and Davies sent his effort just over.

Derby's Brayford and Boro's Leadbitter were both booked on 62 minutes after squaring up after a tussle.

The Rams got a third on 65 minutes as Jacobs lashed in a low shot that Steele did well to block but the rebound fell nicely for CONNOR SAMMON to poke home from four yards out.

Ishmael Miller came on for Leadbitter on 67 minutes.

Boro almost found sight of goal on 72 minutes as Miller barged his way to the edge of the box then played a one-two with Jutkiewicz before slamming a shot into the midriff of defender O'Brien.

Then on 76 minutes Boro went close as Reach wriggled down the left and to the byline then cut the ball back for Miller to crack in a 15 yard effort that brought a good save.

Derby put on Tyson for Jacobs on 78 minutes.

Derby went close again on 80 minutes as a quick ball over the top found them with men over and Hughes played it neatly inside for Tyson but his shot was blocked by Bailey.

On 81 minutes Jutkiewicz was booked for a foul on Tyson.

Parnaby was injured on 83 minutes after sliding in to challenge for a loose ball and coming off worse with Hendrick.

Boro got the ball into the box on 84 minutes as Bailey got down the right to cross invitingly but Jutkiewicz header looped straight into the well positioned keeper's arms then soon after they won a corner on s when a Reach toe-poke from a Parnaby cross was deflected behind but the flag-kick was easily cleared.

Derby broke out go close on 88 minutes as Hughes pushed neatly into the path of Coutts but his shot flew wide.

Boro grabbed a stoppage time consolation as Miller found space down the left and crossed in for LUKAS JUTKIEWICZ to crack in.

And in the final action of the game Jutkiewicz weaved into the box on the left and squared and almsot picked out Miller but he was crowded out.